Our generous Denver Post colleague in the statehouse, John Frank, did Lynn Bartels and me a tremendous solid and spent the day yesterday covering the spectacle that is a state budget debate. He did the same last week in the Senate’s rhetorical knife fight. God willing, John will bear witness to the conference committee that works out the differences between what House Democrats want and the wishes of the Republican majority in the Senate, then each chamber votes on a compromise before the session ends on May 6.

An analysis of donations to the Republican and Democratic committees funding legislative races shows the majority of their donations are coming from companies that are funding both political parties.

In other words, no matter which party wins control of the legislature in November, the donor has picked the winning side, according to a two-part series by the Durango Herald. From Sunday’s story:

If Republicans win control of the state Legislature this year, they can thank big donors like Bresnan Broadband Holdings, Encana Oil & Gas and Wal-Mart.

And if Democrats take the statehouse, they also can thank big donors, like Bresnan Broadband Holdings, Encana Oil & Gas and Wal-Mart.

“I don’t think you could buy a legislator,” said John Straayer, a Colorado State University professor who is a regular fixture at the state Capitol. “But you can buy a Legislature. That’s what we’re seeing here.”

Canyon Courier: New boundaries for state House District 25 would dramatically alter the composition of the district that traditionally has had Evergreen as its epicenter, adding Park, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties and eliminating the portion of Jeffco north of I-70.

The Denver Post: They aren’t angry now, but Rep. Jim Kerr said some of his Jefferson County constituents will be when they realize a new legislative map pairs them with Arapahoe County. Those “When did that happen?” moments are expected to be widespread if the Colorado Supreme Court approves a new set of legislative maps. Kerr and other lawmakers are surveying what their districts will look in 2013.

The school reports mold spore counts at four times the recommended level. Cleaning crews have wiped down walls and floors, replaced air filters and otherwise tried to get rid of the dust from the 30 bales of hay.

The school was cleared out Monday, after students and staff arrived to find the hay spread about.

“It was a dust cloud in there,” said Kevin Camp, a teacher at DHS, who was quoted in a Herald story. “It was like walking through fog.”

The Herald reports there is a police investigation into who brought the hay into the school as well as a school inquiry. It’s a pretty sure bet the perpetrators are going to be caught. The school had a surveillance system, and high schools being what they are — well, probably half the school already knows who did it.

But beyond all that, there is a hopeful, happy note to this. A city councilor once reminded his constituents that Durango is not Mayberry, the idyllic television town. And he was right. Durango has its share of domestic violence, meth and other problems.

But how many high school principals, how many police officers, parents and students in other places, would gladly trade what they face every day for a youth culture in which the misbehavior of the year involves dumping hay in the hall?

Durango is not Mayberry. But if this is the worst our kids do, this community is in pretty good shape.

“We’re thinking that we might run again in two years, but who knows? I’m keeping all options open,” he said. “We’ve been offered a possibility of serving at many other places, or there’s a great possibility of going back to the ranch and raising cattle.”

Salazar, a Democrat from Manassa, lost to Tipton by 3 percentage points. He attributed his loss to a flood of outside money that went to his opponent, Tipton.

Tipton, quoted in the Herald story, said he was unaware that Salazar was considering another run at the seat, which represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

“We just got through an election,” Tipton said. “Frankly, I’m just trying to get focused on the job at hand.”

It probably will depend on how the political winds are blowing across the nation and how unaffiliated voters are leaning. The 3rd CD is a 29-county district that has nearly 130,000 Republicans, 114,000 Democrats and 97,000 unaffiliated voters.

The Durango Herald writes a piece about the objections that school leaders in southwest Colorado have to the K-12 education cuts being proposed by Gov. Bill Ritter.

The story says a statewide campaign, called “Honor 23” has begun to protest the governor’s proposed 4.6 percent cut to K-12 education under the reasoning it is protected by Amendment 23.

It will be interesting to see whether this group and its agenda gets any traction statewide, and whether it will mount a legal challenge to the way the governor’s office has reconfigured education funding to avoid, they say, violating A23.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.